Beginning thoughts of "Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy"

            As I read the introduction to Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy , I couldn’t help but to nod my head in approval and to highlight the many ideas concerning resiliency tactics that are utilized by immigrants to overcome the pain and tension endured on their journey away from their homelands. I particularly enjoyed the idea of humor as a tool to combat oppression. From personal experience, my family and friends incorporate humor into their stories when expressing their experiences with immigration to not only ease the tension of the conversation but to ultimately establish the notion that life is a struggle, the key to survival is being equipped with the right mentality. I agree with Mikail Bahktin’s perspective about laughter as a tool of freedom, who was referenced by Marie Orton and Graziella Parati  "laughter could never become an instrument to oppress and blind the people. It always remained a free weapon in their hands" (pg. 15). Humor is universal. By incorporating it to life experiences, the tales of Italian immigrants will become more 'humanized' (as the audience reads their stories they will, hopefully, no longer see their story as that of an immigrant, but rather that of an individual) ultimately making their stories easier to relate to. I also enjoyed the analogy used to describe the potential that humor has to create social movements. According Orton and Parati, the potential of “grotesque, satire and irony” is to take light (criticism; struggle, pain, desolation) and to” turn it into something that burns.” The power of the light is that of which, “can set fire and even destroy barriers”(pg. 15).

The first story I read was Salvation by Amor Dekhis. Amor is an immigrant from North Africa. From my knowledge of Mexican migratory trends in the US, he serves as the contact person in the desired country who is responsible for assisting their relatives or friends in finding a job, situating, and ultimately obtaining documentation. To a certain extent I agree with Amor’s concern of the high standards that many immigrants have of Italy,  within a few weeks of their arrival their optimism is replaced with disappointment.  This is also the case in the US, where many Mexican immigrants arrive and our surprised to discover that the opposite holds true of what they concocted in their minds.

I'm not too sure if I agree with Amor's decision of avoiding contact with his 'clients'. I believe a warning about the difficult situation in Italy to his friends is enough. At the end, it is up to the individual to choose whether to immigrate or not. Amor might be saving himself  a lot of turmoil by avoiding his contacts, but he is potentially putting his friends and relatives in danger. If one is determine to come to a country, they will do anything within their power to come. In other words, they will find another contact, who might or might not be as informative or caring as Amor. I’m looking forward to learning more about the experiences that Italian immigrants encounter. I’m particularly looking forward to the themes that will arise within their stories. There are high chances that they will be similar to those experienced by immigrants around the world. 

              

Assignment 5

 How to describe Napoli? Is it enough to settle with the stereotypes of this city? Which is that of garbage, drugs, and thieves. From personal experience I have grown to be less reluctant  to believe in stereotypes. Garbage, drugs, and thieves exist everywhere. The verity that all three stereotypes are abundant in the city confirms it. Garbage dominates the streets. Drugs are readily accessible and thieves are overly qualified for their professions; a skill that requires much practice, courage, and wit.  Granted that certain stereotypes were reaffirmed during the class’ stay in Naples, there is much to see and learn about this intriguing city.

Napoli is a camouflaged city. What do I mean by that? Imagine an abandoned vespa on the street corner. It is placed in front of a grocery store. It is rusty and secured with a worn chain. It asks for little to no attention. What many people don’t know about the abandoned vespa is that it functions accordingly and that its owner conveniently parked it there knowing that it will be there upon their return. Only the owner knows the value of the vespa. It is something that an outsider would have never been able to guess or believe.

Camouflage is the ultimate weapon against theft. It is also a tool for preservation and peace. Problems are masked or in this case beauty and worth are masked to prevent change. Presentation plays a role in the identity of a location especially Naples, which is quickly judged by outsiders.  For example, the massive amount of garbage found across the city can be perceived as a sign of laziness and poverty. When in truth, the garbage problem is a result of overpopulation and unavailability of landfills. A fact that many outsiders are unaware of. Only the populates of Napoli know the value of their city (The vespa analogy was fostered by a section in Severgnini’s article La Bella Figura: An Insider’s Guide to the Italian Mind, pg. 164).

Expanding on the vespa scooter analogy, there is also a parking issue in Napoli and in Italy. It is common to see the same car parked in the location from yesterday or for there to be a long line of traffic waiting on a driver who is determined to  park directly in front of a grocery store.  The parking problem is a reflection of Italy’s national identity, which includes individualism. Parking is an issue that can be readily resolved but as Severgnini  comments, “in these cases, the remedy lies with the authorities and should be applied with energy. But the authorities have other things to do. Like parking close to the office.”

 Which makes me wonder if the lack of collectivism is a factor for the deficiency of societal progress? How far can a nation progress with the mentality of ‘survival of the fittest’?

Fear is the act of not knowing. Not knowing the personality of a neighborhood or how to adapt to it, shapes and influences the way in which you view a particular destination. Naples is such a place. It is a city densely populated by ‘others’. Others, a term that represents a potluck of immigrants, city dwellers, and artists. In my opinion it is a nest for activism and change. The graffiti, or public political statements depicted by blunt expressions for freedom and images of death, change, and humor is found throughout every corner and alley in Napoli. The excursion led by Alex Valentino contributed to my theory that activism has deep roots in Italy. This is confirmed by the abundant stories and facts that Alex was able to provide about religious buildings that were invaded as a drastic measure to make political statements, grant sanctuary or serve as headquarters to social organizations.

The traditional outlook on politics ultimately places a handicap on the youth of the nation. There is no future for the youth.

            On a lighter note, my visit to Naples assured me even more that home is where you make it. Location may play an insignificant role.  I had more positive experiences in Naples than negative experiences. J

Assignment 4

Consider what doors are open and closed here in Italy for immigrants and for youth in general in terms of education? How do you compare these to the doors in the United States? What are you basing your opinions and perspectives on?

I had a difficult time responding to this question.  Partly due to my short stay in Rome, limited knowledge of the Italian education system and my reluctance to make assumptions of such a complex situation. My opinion is a product of personal experiences and observations of students and teachers from Iqbal Masih, conversations with current Italian university students, class guest speakers, and course readings. As a daughter of immigrant parents, my ultimate opinion lies on the foundation that with hard work and perseverance anything is attainable. I learned that in the United States doors are readily accessible to those who choose to work hard to open them. There are many countries in the world where the case is the opposite, doors are sealed shut and hidden behind plasters in the attempt to control the youth and the direction in which the country progresses. Italy being one of them.

I believe there are more educational opportunities  in the US than in Italy, where it seems that many doors are closed to immigrants and to the youth. The educational path for Italian youth is structured in the beginning, as it unwinds it becomes narrow with many intersections.  Preschool, or kindergarten, is non-compulsory, students are required to attend primary schools for five years. At this stage, the curriculum is uniform. Middle school is the critical transition point for every child, in which depending on how well they score on their final exam at the end of their 3^rd year, they are ‘highly encouraged’ to pursue their high school education in a specialized institution.

Up to this point, there are some differences and similarities that exist among the doors that are open to youth in Italy and the United States. Both  countries have a compulsory age of which students must abide to. In Italy, the ‘legge gentile' established the compulsory age of education to 14 years, which has been raised recently to 16 years. In the United States, the compulsory age is 18 years.

 I mention the idea of ‘age’ because I believe it to play a critical role in the professional development and ultimately the direction of the lives of the students. After middle school, pre-teenagers are guided into a certain field of profession. Although I see the benefits of specializing in one certain area at a young age. I see many more disadvantages that it indirectly makes such as, limiting students from learning about different issues about the world, contributing to the Italian ‘narrow-mindness’ perspective and decreasing their chance of becoming global citizens. Most importantly, having to decide what you want to be when you grow up during your teenage years, is a call for instability, not only in the present but also in the future.

  An important aspect of the Italian education system that I believe to be an influential factor in the disarray of the nation, is the attempt to segregate ‘Italian’ children from foreigners. You can see this within any stage of the educational system. In early childhood education, extra attention is often time paid on the ‘foreign’ students. For example, I volunteer in a preschool classroom where there are two Roma students. The preschool teachers do an exceptional job of making sure that each student is engaged in the classroom. Although their actions demonstrate their approval for an inclusion approach and for equal educational opportunity, when they converse, they unintentionally speak of the Roma students with a sense of ‘otherness’.

Focusing on the other side of the education spectrum, there is a  small proportion of Italian youth who choose to attend the university. I had the opportunity to speak to a substitute teacher who helped to shed more light on the subject. She mentioned that higher education,  “is a waste of time and money. Many people often time find a job in a different field of profession than from what they obtained their bachelor’s degree in”  (Iqbal Masih, February 1^st, 2011). In her case, she studied psychology and happened to come across the job. An alarming trend is the amount of time that it takes to finish a Bachelor’s degree. University students often spend seven years in obtaining a Laurea (BA) degree. There are many factors that contribute to this, a few including the familial structure, the economy, and the rigid structure of the government that fails to assist university students with lodging, health benefits, and so on (25/01/2011, guest speakers Anna Onorati and Fedelica Bianchi). In short, for  the Italian youth there are a few doors that are accessible, especially for foreigners. According to Social, Cultural, and Material Conditions of Students from developing countries in Italy, the percentage of foreign students who attend an institute of higher education in Italy has decreased.  A study conducted to discover the priorities of foreign university students revealed that family relations are ranked higher than sexuality and living as couples (which was the opposite in the United States)as well as politics. This is a startling finding. Italy has created a generation  in which there is a “distrust in politics as an effective tool in restoring balance relations between North and South in the world” (pg. 366). In short, there is no hope on behalf of the brightest minds in the nation for change. As Amara Lakhous mentioned in his lecture “the brightest youth is leaving Italy!”   What is the country to do without educated youth? Is it ultimately setting itself up for failure?

In sum, It is impossible to discuss the opportunities or ‘doors’ that are available to immigrants and youth in Italy without discussing the context in which the ‘doors’ are in. I like to envision Italy as a traditional Italian home in which many corridors and flight of stairs exist. The youth is not allowed to climb the stairs for fear of immaturity and inexperience. Immigrants either enter the Italian home through the front or back door. Their form of entry varies, but their destination is one. They are all gathered and forced to stay in the living room under close surveillance. The chances of an immigrant obtaining access to a flight of stairs is slim. The very few that manage to advance, find themselves alone and aware of their status as ‘the other’. There is no circulation within the home, so an old-musty smell lingers. With the demands of a ‘fresh’ breeze from a portion of the youth population, many doors are sealed shut.  In my analogy, the Italian community is a traditional house where strict access to advancement exists (limited access to the flight of stairs). The marginalized (immigrants) are restricted to one area (the living room) and the musty smell that exists within the walls is a symbolism of the elite who reign the country, the elderly.  The Italian house can be restored.  In order to do so, it must pay close attention to the people dwelling within it.  Only by appreciating diversity can Italy progress as a nation of multiculturalism.  This idea has caught on in the United States but seems to be dismissed and ignored fairly quickly in Italy.